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Wednesday 30 November 2005

The Campaign to Save the Scottish Regiments calls upon the Prime Minister to put his words into action today when he receives a petition calling for a re-think on the disbandment and amalgamations of the six Scottish Regiments.

It was only a few months ago, the day after the election to be precise, that the Prime Minister and his ministers told the electorate that their Government needed to listen to the people.

155,000 Scots have signed a Petition asking this Labour Government to do just that listen, consider and act.

Campaigners have worked hard for almost 18 months and will continue to campaign for the foreseeable future.

For the Prime Minister to ignore such a large section of the Scottish population is wrong and will have consequences in future elections, the first being the 2007 Scottish Elections.

We urge the Prime Minister to do the proper thing and call for a rethink of the unwanted and unnecessary changes to our six Scottish Regiments.

Thursday 24 November 2005

The Campaign to Save the Scottish Regiments angrily condemns today's decision by Her Majesty The Queen to grant Royal Assent to the new Super Regiment called the Royal Regiment of Scotland.

Scotland's army community, both serving and retired, have demonstrated their almost total opposition in the believe that the unwelcome and unwarranted changes to the future of the six Scottish Regiment will be destructive and not for the best of the future of those regiments.

With impending legal action still to be decided by the courts on whether the UK Government has the legal authority to merge certain regiment the Queen's own approval may have some effect on the outcome of these legal proceedings.

A petition to parliament with over 100,000 signatures is to be delivered to Westminster on St.Andrews Day calling on the government to rethink their plans for the Army in Scotland. Public opinion in Scotland on this matter is such that the people of Scotland see this as an attack on their Scottish heritage.

The campaign is bitterly disappointed that her Majesty has chosen to ignore these important considerations and can only wonder why hundreds of thousands of Scots should support a political system and monarchy that so blatantly ignores their wishes.

Despite Her Majesty's assent today the real decision on the formation of this new super regiment will be made by young men in Scotland who up until now have shunned the concept with numbers of new recruits at an all time low.

Commenting further, Jeff Duncan, Campaign Manager said "Is it any wonder that people question the relevance of the monarchy in a modern and democratic society when in one week the Royal Family can be seen to comment on how vital the memory of the sacrifices of the men of the regiment has been throughout the decades and then fail to back those words with real support instead opting to assist in the destruction of Scotland's historic Army Regiments. I believe this to be an unforgiveable act that many Scots will not forget for a long time to come"

In the first round of a legal challenge brought by the Edinburgh branch of the KOSB to oppose an enforced merger with the Royal Scots it was decided that the Sheriff Court did not have the legal authority to decide the case. Sheriff Elizabeth Jarvie adjourned the case before Edinburgh Sheriff Court last Thursday after hearing legal argument from campaigners and the Ministry of Defence. She ruled yesterday that her court was not competent to hear the petition from the veterans and it was a matter for a higher court to decide.

A spokesman for the KOSB said "The fight goes on. We haven't even touched first base as yet. The substance of our case has not been heard. Last week was about legal competence and nothing more. "Nothing has changed. We have a number of options open to us and will be pursuing our challenge all the way. The sheriff said it was an issue for judicial review at a higher level.

"This is neither a defeat nor a setback, but merely a step in a process which we had anticipated."

The association has the ultimate choice of taking the case before the Court of Session, Scotland's highest judicial authority, for a ruling.

The MoD's agent argued last week that it was beyond the authority of a Scottish sheriff to declare any Whitehall decision illegal.

So it seems the MoD have a prolonged fight on their hands before the declare the path clear to proceed with the formation of the much despised Royal Regiment of Scotland.

We all wish the KOSB's legal challenge the very best and hope they succeed with their legal challenge.

It has been announced that General Loudon, who heads up the Scottish Colonels, will unveil at 3pm today in Edinburgh Castle, a new common cap badge which will be worn by the entire proposed Royal Regiment of Scotland which will see the end of Scotland six historic regiments. The new cap badge has elements from several sources including a saltire background and a variation of the latin motto 'Nemo me impune lacessit' which is currently used by several of the Scottish regiments. Some of the Regiments, the Highlanders for example, own mottos will disappear altogether along with there cap badge. This is in direct conflict with promises made by senior Government Ministers late last year who inisisted that regimental cap badges would be woren by the regiments which would make up a new super-regiment. Unsurprisingly this promise is now being broken. The first of many we have good reason to fear.

Commenting on the new design: Jeff Duncan, Campaign Manager for the Save the Scottish Regiments: "Perhaps more fitting a symbol would have been a wounded stag surrounded by the six Scottish colonels plunging daggers into it. This would be a more accurate portrayal of what the Colonels of the six Scottish Regiments have done to their own regiments by voting to disband and amalgamate themselves out of existence. Unfortunately this new badge has been designed by men who betrayed their own regiments and therefore is hardly fitting to be worn by honourable serving soldiers who have no desire to be part of this super-regiment"

Our campaign has been in contact with sources from all the regiments and has learned that there is a general concensus of great dislike for the new badge - senior regimental representatives have alread seen the badge. Despite, centuries of proven success the Scottish Regiment's greatest assets are about to be thrown to the wind for what is widely seen as an unneccesary and ill-thought out Army/MoD marketing plan.

Whilst recruitment to the Army in Scotland continues to plummet (the Army's own spin-doctor recently said 'Recruitment in Scotland could be better') the Army is pressing on with what is likely to be a disasterous formation of a widely unwanted and much disliked Super-Regiment. Instead of analysing what is the real cause of bad recruitment figures, such as the failure to listen to serving soldiers and would be recruits who want to retain/join their famous local regiment and addressing the pay structure the army's response is to disgard the very best elements of recruiting to the existing regiments and to destroy the immense sense of pride and belonging to one's own local regiment. Their is no sense of pride or belonging to this proposed Super-Regiment and in fact their is widespread hostility - so much so that would be recruits are refusing to join it. It is not too difficult to see that the Army has a marketing dilemma and perhaps it ought to enlist outside help. Any marketing strategist worth his/her salt would quickly tell the Army that throwing away it's core brand - cap badges and uniforms and ties with the local community would be a grave mistake.

Sadly, this is just the beginning of what is set to be the biggest failure of modern army reform. It is time the Government stepped in to take control of what is fast becoming a tragic farce in the making and listen to the those with decades experience in those regiments - men whose positions vary from privates to Generals. The alternative is to watch recruitment in Scotland continue to fall at a time when the country needs more infantry personnel than ever before.

Our campaign urgently requires funding to continue campaigning.

Please click here to :: read more ::          or to donate to our :: GIVE IT FIVE :: campaign click here

Regrettably, yesterday's statement from the Council of Scottish Colonels still means the prospect of the death of the six Scottish Regiments.

Despite the undeniable fact that serving soldiers and officers remain utterly opposed to a new super regiment for Scotland, Colonels who should have the well-being and safety of the six Scottish Regiments future uppermost in their minds have effectively deserted their posts and behaved more like government civil servants carrying out an order from within Whitehall, rather than honourable generals who have the best interests of their regiment’s future and it’s past, they are after all only in caretaker positions. The Colonels should have reflected the wishes of their rank and file and opposed the cuts and amalgamations that the Chief of Staff, General Jackson, called a government budgetary constraint.

No amount of press releases after closed meetings can dress up the awful future that awaits Scotland's historic regiments.

Committees, working groups etc mean nothing if the rank and files wishes have been ignored - and they have. This new super regiment is doomed to failure as it has failed to listen to both serving and former soldiers of the six Scottish Regiments. Recruitment to the army in Scotland continues to fall whilst our nation is in need of greater troop numbers than ever before.

A serving soldier who contacted our campaign this evening commented: ‘The already intolerable overstretch in the army will only be worsened by the formation of this unnecessary, unwanted and untimely super regiment. Our superiors seem hell bent on destroying Scotland's already effective fighting Regiments. Hell mend those responsible for this impending mess they are foisting on us”.

Examples of waste seem to already be on the horizon, for example, it seems illogical both organisationally and financially to have what is essentially two RHQ’s for each of the regiments that will make up the new super regiment. On consultation and uniform, ask the soldiers who are about to lose their uniform which for centuries has composed of trews and I am sure they would tell you what they think of General Loudon’s so-called consultation.

Arrogance and Ignorance - a lethal combination for the Scottish regiment's future?

In two words - ARROGANCE and IGNORANCE.  The arrogance of John Reid and the ignorance of Adam Ingram make for a defence ministry that listens to nobody.  Not even Prince Charles who yesterday spoke of the 'UNIQUE' REGIMENTS.

In a heartfelt speech, Charles expressed strong support for the armed forces and the regiments that they are composed of. His remarks came after greeting veterans at the Castle's Great Hall, the Prince said he often spoke to soldiers recently returned from service in places such as Iraq and Afghanistan. He said: "I am so proud that people are still prepared to put their lives on the line and perform the most extraordinary heroic acts. "We don't hear enough about the extraordinary things that people are doing all around the globe. "So often people are taking these risks first of all on behalf of their mates and their regiment and unit. "We must never forget that. "It's this human factor, the family element that is so vital to our regimental system." The Prince added that the regimental system was envied by many.

So what future for the regiments?  Admittedly the signs are not good at the moment.  In keeping with Mr Blair's 'we are  listening to what you say but ignoring everything you say' style of government, the new defence minister Mr Reid pushes on with the ill-conceived changes.  In fact Mr Reid's record whilst Minister for Health demonstrated his inability to listen to the workers who work in the NHS and as such he left the NHS no better off than when he took office.  The fear in his new post is that he will leave it in a much worse position than when he inherited it from the hapless and embarrassing Mr Hoon.

Listening government?  As one senior officer remarked to us recently: "Don't make me laugh .... this is a government comprised of individuals that have more in common with an ad-agency selling a bad product than politicians who are supposed to belong to a political party of the people.  Labour stopped being the people's party when John Smith died and Tony Blair took office."

For almost a year the Save the Scottish Regiments campaign has warned off the dangers of the current overstretch of our armed forces.  An arrogant government has lied and deceived the public for the real reasons for the cutbacks - trying to hoodwink there way around the truth by voicing inaccurate claims.

Bombastic Armed Forces Minister, Adam Ingram, pushes arrogance and contempt for his critics to new heights never seen before from a Government Minister.  He has lied about the support from serving soldiers for the defence review and been found out by documents released under the Freedom of Information Act showing not a single letter of support from a serving soldier for the changes but many against the planned destructive changes.

He has also mislead the public and MPs when he claimed that the Regimental Museums in Scotland were safe from closure or re-location - he gave this assurance on April 1st whilst visiting the Royal Highland Fusiliers HQ in Glasgow.  On 26th May he announced a further review which would look at value for money and the correct configuration of RHQ's and Museums - he did say that stand-alone museums would not be included but co-located would be included.  This in reality means that four out of of the six Regimental museums are targeted either for relocation or closure in the current locations.  No matter how anyone attempts to gloss around this - Mr Ingram has misled and in our opinion deliberately lied ahead of a General Election, only some weeks after to tell the truth about his plans for Scotland's Historic Regimental Museums.

Furthermore, Geoff Hoon and Adam Ingram stated that Scotland could not sustain six Regiments and indicated huge shortfalls in manning in the six Scottish Regiments.  In a written response to a request by Stewart Hosie, Dundee East SNP MP, Mr Ingram himself released figures that showed almost every Regiment's recruitment since 2002 was dramatically improving.  The Black Watch for example was only short of 40 men in 2004 out of a total of 675 men, this had halved year on year since 2002.  The other Scottish regiments were in a similar position.  Shortly before the announcement of the disbandments and mergers announced by Geoff Hoon on July 21, 2004 a recruitment freeze was imposed - solely to stop the numbers of recruits to the Scottish Regiments from meeting their targets.  Such is the duplicity and dishonesty of this government.

Levels of absence due to either combat stress, sickness and absence without leave are at their highest ever.

When will this Government realise they are in the middle of a crisis and if they continue with the policies they are currently pursuing that we may find ourselves in a deep crisis should an unexpected national emergency arise.

It is the duty of every MP and MSP in the United Kingdom to press the government on its handling of the defence review and surely calls for Adam Ingram's resignation.

THE KOSB MIGHT JUST SCUPPER THE UNWELCOME ROYAL REGIMENT OF SCOTLAND

THE Ministry of Defence is being forced to go to court to defend its legal and constitutional right to amalgamate the King's Own Scottish Borderers with the Royal Scots. The move was part of radical Army restructuring proposals announced last year. The KOSB's regimental campaigners challenged the decision in February, issuing a petition claiming that it was "outwith the competency" of a Westminster government to merge or disband a regiment raised in 1689 by act of an independent Scottish parliament. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Friday to determine whether the veterans' case merits further action. This could delay or even overturn the merger of the two historic units and wreck plans for the formation of a new Royal Regiment of Scotland. The solicitors acting for the campaigners are Alexander Moffat and Co, the Edinburgh firm which also handled the return of the Stone of Destiny to Scotland in 1996 and are regarded as the premier Scottish constitutional legal experts. A team of lawyers re-searched the issues surrounding the regimental case for months before serving a writ, on behalf of the KOSB's Edinburgh association, on Dr Linda Clarke, QC, advocate-general for Scotland, as Westminster's senior legal representative north of the border. The basis of the case is that the KOSB was raised "by beat of drum" near Holyrood Abbey by emergency order of the Scottish parliament eight years before the Act of Union created the United Kingdom in 1707 and that Westminster therefore has no jurisdiction over its fate.

More than 800 volunteers rallied to the standard of the Earl of Leven within two hours on March 18, 1689, to defend Edinburgh and the throne of King William of Orange against a rumoured attack by a Jacobite Highland army loyal to the exiled James II. The regiment has been in continuous service for 316 years since then. If the sheriff court imposes even a temporary ban on the amalgamation, it could seriously disrupt the timetable for forming the new Scottish "super-regiment" and throw the MoD's Future Infantry Structure strategy into disarray.

It would also cast doubt over the disbandment of the Cameronians, Lanarkshire's regiment, in 1968 under a defence cutback. That regiment, drawn from Covenanters, was also raised by Scottish parliamentary warrant before the UK came into being.

The MoD confirmed the ministry would be presenting its own legal argument before a sheriff on Friday. "It is a preliminary hearing. There is no point in speculation until we know the outcome."

Donald Fairgrieve, a signatory to the KOSB legal petition and a former officer in the regiment, said: "The act which brought the KOSB into being has never been rescinded. We have done our homework thoroughly." Under MoD proposals, the KOSB and the Royal Scots are due to amalgamate before they and the other five Scottish infantry regiments are incorporated into a single, large regiment with five battalions wearing a common tartan. Critics say this will damage local recruitment.

The Army's executive board insists the changes are necessary to make land forces more flexible at a time when Britain has major overseas commitments in Iraq and the prospect of a major new deployment to Afghanistan next year. THE Ministry of Defence is being forced to go to court to defend its legal and constitutional right to amalgamate the King's Own Scottish Borderers with the Royal Scots. The move was part of radical Army restructuring proposals announced last year. The KOSB's regimental campaigners challenged the decision in February, issuing a petition claiming that it was "outwith the competency" of a Westminster government to merge or disband a regiment raised in 1689 by act of an independent Scottish parliament.

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Friday to determine whether the veterans' case merits further action. This could delay or even overturn the merger of the two historic units and wreck plans for the formation of a new Royal Regiment of Scotland. The solicitors acting for the campaigners are Alexander Moffat and Co, the Edinburgh firm which also handled the return of the Stone of Destiny to Scotland in 1996 and are regarded as the premier Scottish constitutional legal experts. A team of lawyers re-searched the issues surrounding the regimental case for months before serving a writ, on behalf of the KOSB's Edinburgh association, on Dr Linda Clarke, QC, advocate-general for Scotland, as Westminster's senior legal representative north of the border. The basis of the case is that the KOSB was raised "by beat of drum" near Holyrood Abbey by emergency order of the Scottish parliament eight years before the Act of Union created the United Kingdom in 1707 and that Westminster therefore has no jurisdiction over its fate. More than 800 volunteers rallied to the standard of the Earl of Leven within two hours on March 18, 1689, to defend Edinburgh and the throne of King William of Orange against a rumoured attack by a Jacobite Highland army loyal to the exiled James II. The regiment has been in continuous service for 316 years since then.

If the sheriff court imposes even a temporary ban on the amalgamation, it could seriously disrupt the timetable for forming the new Scottish "super-regiment" and throw the MoD's Future Infantry Structure strategy into disarray. It would also cast doubt over the disbandment of the Cameronians, Lanarkshire's regiment, in 1968 under a defence cutback. That regiment, drawn from Covenanters, was also raised by Scottish parliamentary warrant before the UK came into being. The MoD confirmed the ministry would be presenting its own legal argument before a sheriff on Friday. "It is a preliminary hearing. There is no point in speculation until we know the outcome." Donald Fairgrieve, a signatory to the KOSB legal petition and a former officer in the regiment, said: "The act which brought the KOSB into being has never been rescinded. We have done our homework thoroughly." Under MoD proposals, the KOSB and the Royal Scots are due to amalgamate before they and the other five Scottish infantry regiments are incorporated into a single, large regiment with five battalions wearing a common tartan. Critics say this will damage local recruitment.

The Army's executive board insists the changes are necessary to make land forces more flexible at a time when Britain has major overseas commitments in Iraq and the prospect of a major new deployment to Afghanistan next year.

War desecrates everything. Even heroism is not immune. When Tim Collins addressed his troops on that March day, his impassioned oratory flashed across the world. In Britain it was hailed as his Agincourt moment, a reference to the rallying cry of Henry V of England, preparing his men for battle against the French in 1415. In Washington, President George W Bush instructed that the words be framed and hung on a wall in the Oval office. For Collins that particular distinction would become one of many piercing ironies, given what was to follow. Collins, aged 44, resigned from the Army last year after 22 years and now seems set to become one of the media's military commentators.

:: CLICK HERE :: to read the full article

Save the Scottish Regiments Campaign is looking for veterans and campaign supporters to help leaflet voters at polling stations throughout Scotland on May 5th.

If you would like to help repay the Labour Party for stabbing soldiers of the six Scottish Regiments in the back, then you could help by reminding voters that a vote for labour is a vote to disband their local regiment.

:: click here :: to help us in your local area

THE FIGHT to prevent The Black Watch being forced into a Royal Regiment of Scotland is one that still can be won, a senior retired officer insisted yesterday.

Brigadier Garry Barnett, a former colonel of the regiment, said the example of the Government dropping plans to break up an English regiment should give campaigners hope. The officer was speaking as those opposing infantry cuts and amalgamations prepare for a mass rally in Stirling this weekend. Brigadier Barnett said the Government’s U-turn on splitting the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment between two other English regiments, should give campaigners fresh impetus to fight on. He was also highly critical of the new infantry structure planned for Scotland and claimed it will be less effective operationally and have more difficulty recruiting than the current small regimental system.

Brigadier Barnett said army restructuring being pursued by the Government has failed to take into account the changing world security situation. “(Defence Secretary) Mr Hoon is on record as saying technology will replace bayonets but he has been badly advised. We needed technology during the cold war but any war on terrorism needs men on the ground. We need all the existing battalions and they need to be fully recruited. “The Defence Secretary make much of recruiting problems but how does he or General Sir Mike Jackson believe that the formation of large regiments and the destruction of traditional links with local regiments is going to improve matters is beyond my comprehension. “I remain convinced that the proposed Royal Regiment of Scotland will be less effective operationally, will find links to local communities becoming less strong and recruiting will suffer all to the detriment of the defence of our country.” The brigadier argued that retaining the existing Scottish Division structure is more likely to ensure full-strength battalions than the Government’s proposal.

Brigadier Barnett added, “We have to reverse these unwise decisions if the foreign policy aims of this Government, or any other, remain much the same as they are now.”

On Saturday 2nd April, regimental campaigners will gather in Stirling for the rally organised by the Regimental Association of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders with the full support of The Save the Scottish Regiments Campaign. The rally will form close to the esplanade of Stirling Castle at 11 am.

The main speaker will be General Sir John MacMillan, former general officer, commanding Scotland. Menzies Campbell for the Liberal Democrats will be speaking as will Annabelle Ewing for the Scottish National Party.

Assembly will be at 11.00 in Broad Street 

March Off at 11.30

Rally at Albert Hall 1215

Disperse 1245. 

It has been revealed in internal MoD documents, released under the freedom of information act, that the MoD knew and accepted that scrapping historic Scottish army regiments would harm recruitment to the army in Scotland.

Whilst government ministers denied that the ending of the six single Scottish Regiments and replacing with a single super regiment would have any effect they accused campaigners of scare-mongering and not understanding the plans.

Campaign spokesman Jeff Duncan commented: “This explicit admission by the MoD in which the freely admit that by amalgamating the Scottish Regiments into a single super regiment would then lead to a drop in recruitment is astonishing. It validates what our campaign has said since July 21, 2004 - that a super-regiment is neither welcome or wise and will lead to recruitment problems. Already recruitment has dropped as a result.

Why are the household divisions, which are primarily for pomp and circumstance, left untouched? Why is it alright to destroy Scotland’s Six Historic Regiments who have all been in the front line in Iraq or due to go there but leave intact ceremonial regiments that sit in barracks in and around London?”
The answer is simple – it is not alright and it is not acceptable.
General Mike Jackson should be sacked for having got it so badly wrong, he and Tony Blair would not dare meddle with the Queen’s ceremonial guards etc yet it’s okay to disband the likes of The Royal Scots and The KOSB!

It’s about time we had people in charge who had the interests of the real fighting squaddie rather than Colonels and General looking to get listed in the New Years Honours list for doing the government’s dirty work.” The people who have dreamt up FRES are amateurs – sadly they are in charge.”

The campaign to Save Scotland’s Regiments has today announced it will stand it’s own candidate against the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, in the newly created seat of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath.

Anne McMillan, commented “The campaign to Save the Scottish Regiments Campaign will not accept plans which are destructive for Scotland’s six historic regiments and detrimental to recruitment for the army as a whole. Gordon Brown is responsible for forcing army chiefs to make defence cuts due to his penny pinching. Demands for cost savings in order to fund hugely wasteful outdated projects such as the Euro fighter project, which was ordered for the cold war period and is now relatively obsolete, is an irresponsible waste of the tax payers money and should instead be used to retain soldiers instead of cutting almost 2,000 jobs in the army.”

Anne went on to say, “Labour will be amply reminded of their wrongdoing on many issues between now and the General Election and I intend to make the electorate of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath aware of Gordon Brown’s part in the intended demise of Scottish Regiments and in particular The Black Watch Regiment, although the Regiments issue is of course my primary concern, given my background as a healthcare professional I will highlight the challenges for local healthcare which is currently an issue in Fife.”

Anne’s father served in The Black Watch regiment and has local ties with many Black Watch families. She also has extensive experience within the National Health Service having served as a general nurse and midwife for over fifteen years at grassroots level, she also has managerial experience in facilitating and managing change within the National Health Service. Anne is also committed to the Campaign to Save the Scottish Regiments and has been the party fundraiser for the past six months.

A press conference will be held in the constituency of Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath in the coming weeks at which Anne will meet the media to answer questions.

In stark contrast to the reception at the Labour Party conference in Dundee a little over a week ago, the SNP's Spring Conference in Dundee was welcomed by the Save the Scottish Regiments Campaign.

Ex-Soldiers from the local Regiment (The Black Watch) turned out to make SNP delegates (over 400) aware of their feelings on the proposed "Super Regiment".  They were joined by 8yr old Connor Sinclair whose bigger brother is part of The Black Watch.

Joined by SNP MP's Pete Wishart, Mike Weir, Anabelle Ewing, MSP and Deputy Party Leader Nicola Sturgeon as well as Party Leader - Alex Salmond, the veterans, young Connor and his family were invited along with campaigners inside the party conference.

Later that afternoon, Campaign Manager, Jeff Duncan, addressed the SNP conference in which he explained the campaign strategy, it's thanks to the SNP for it's support and the gross betrayal of the Regiments by the Labour Party.

:: click here :: to read the speech

click on any image for an enlargement

At the Scottish Labour Party conference in Dundee yesterday, Friday 4 March, Prime Minister Tony Blair completely ignored the massive contribution by The Black Watch in the Iraq war and the loss of young lives by failing to mention them once during his speech.

Such is the ingratitude and disrespect of this duplicitous Prime Minister who cares more about cheap public relations exercises than real people.

Tony Blair hid from hundreds of Save the Scottish Regiments campaigners yesterday, choosing to avoid approaching Dundee's Caird Hall from the front, but instead slipping in a side entrance which was heavily guarded by police and men in black!

Blair was harangued by Save the Scottish Regiments protestors when he left Dundee's McManus Galleries later in the afternoon and looked visibly taken aback as Allan Hendry, campaign organiser, stood feet away from Blair's range rover with a megaphone, challenging the Prime Minister to explain his actions in disbanding the Black Watch.

Why anyone who cares about the Scottish Regiments would want to vote for such a disrespectful Prime Minister and a party that no longer represent the people of this country is beyond us!

Please use your vote to punish Labour for their betrayal of The Scottish Regiments by voting for anybody else except Labour, or better still for the next best placed candidate to unseat a sitting or prospective Labour MP.

In a show of solidarity with Dundee's SNP candidates for the seats of both Dundee East and Dundee West and Press conference was held at The Black Watch memorial at Dundee's Powrie Brae.  Approx. a dozen or so Black Watch veterans as well as former Black Watch piper Jimmy Doig joined SNP prospective MP's for Dundee East, Stewart Hosie and for Dundee West, Councillor Joe FitzPatrick at the Press Conference.  Campaign organisers from our campaign attended also.

We look forward to helping the SNP to gain both Dundee seats at the General Election.

Veterans and Campaigners join prospective
SNP candidates for a Press Conference

At least two coach loads of Scottish Regiments supporters are travelling to Liverpool this Saturday (26th Feb) to show support for The Kings Regiment march and rally.  Jeff Duncan, Campaign Organiser, said, "In Edinburgh last December there were many supporters from other parts of the country who came to show solidarity in the face of a devious and divisive Government and Scottish Colonels who have employed every trick in the book to dampen the protests.  It is our turn now to show similar support for The Kings Regiment.

We look forward to many regimental supporters converging on London in April.

Seats are still available (free of charge) for those wishing to travel to Liverpool from Scotland.
Call 01980 59 49 49 or email: info@savethescottishregiments.co.uk

The Keep Our Scottish Battalions campaign has confirmed that the Edinburgh Branch of The King's Own Scottish Borderers Association has commenced proceedings before the Scottish Courts to declare that  proposals by the Secretary of State for  Defence relating to the King's Own Scottish Borderers are outwith his powers. The Branch of the Association seeks the protection of the Scottish Courts in upholding the validity of legislation passed by the Scots Parliament in March 1689 in obedience to which the King's Own Scottish Borderers was lawfully established.

http://www.soldiervote.co.uk/

In an important push to encourage as many serving soldiers to Register to Vote - Save the Scottish Regiments Campaign has launched a dedicated information website with simple clear instructions and help for ensuring soldiers are registered to vote at the forthcoming General Election.

Soldier Vote can be reached at http://www.soldiervote.co.uk/  - please pass on this web address to anyone you think might make use of this valuable information

Monday’s response from Adam Ingram to a parliamentary question by Anne Winterton on whether a future Royal Regiment of Scotland would be able to maintain five battalions given present recruiting levels has been incredulous in the extreme with Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram attempting to shift the blame for a fall in recruiting on to the Save the Scottish Regiments campaign.

The real reasons for any drop in recruitment, as Mr Ingram knows, but is of course unwilling to share with us, is the following:

1. His own Government has seriously under-estimated the strength of feeling in Scotland to the cuts and amalgamations which would then form a deeply unpopular ‘super-regiment’. Neither serving soldiers nor veterans and the general public accept the rationale for these ill-conceived changes.

2. Recruitment levels have dropped because Government Ministers, Mr Hoon and Mr Ingram in particular, have amply shown serving soldiers and prospective recruits just how undervalued they are. The Black Watch are a perfect example –after two tours of duties in Iraq within 18 months, a dangerous deployment at Camp Dogwood at the request of the U.S. Military and subsequent fatalities, a massive outcry from the public to retain them as a single regiment and soldiers of the regiment who broke ranks to talk to the press to convey the feelings of their fellow soldiers that none of them saw the need or wished to be part of this ‘super regiment’ – none of this has counted for anything by an ungrateful Labour government with Mr Hoon and Mr Ingram arrogantly dismissing MPs, MSPs, formed defence chiefs, many former colonels, brigadiers, serving soldiers, campaigners and the public as misguided and wrong.

3. Furthermore, recruits see other non-active regiments, such as ceremonial guards units remaining untouched by defence budget cuts (they also realise the monetary cuts drives these changes).

4. A bus driver in Edinburgh earns an average £22k for driving along Princes Street – a soldier around £13k for driving an armoured vehicle from Basra to Baghdad, under threat of suicide attacks. Surely this less than minimum wage structure the army employs has ‘a little’ to do with recruitment levels – in short it’s about time we properly recognized the dedication and commitment our soldiers make to this country.

Taking all of the above into account it does not take much for a serving soldier nor a prospective soldier to work out that to give so much for so little and to ultimately be rewarded with the decimation of your regiment is ‘not much of a reward’ – as one soldier put it at the Edinburgh Rally in December.

Mr Ingram may make as many attempts to blame anyone else he sees fits for the mess he and his fellow government ministers have gotten themselves in to, but prospective recruits know where the blame lies, as do serving soldiers and the public – fairly and squarely at the feet of this Labour Government. In attempting this feeble shifting of blame, Mr Ingram only serves to further fuel the already deep resentment of Labour and the depths to which they will stoop to ‘sell a bad idea’.

If Mr Ingram is so sure of his parties plans for the Regiments why does he not have the courage of his conviction and take the blows from the critics – the more Labour ministers spin, distort facts and blame anyone but themselves for this mess the more they come across as devious and unbelievable to prospective recruits and the public.

Hansard, 24th January 2005, Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the future Royal Regiment of Scotland will be able to maintain the establishment for five battalions under present recruiting levels. Mr Ingram: The ability to man the five battalions of the Royal Regiment of Scotland will depend on a number of factors. It is not possible to predict its establishment until it is clear what roles the battalions of the regiment will be assigned. Recruitment to the Scottish Division has recently been slightly depressed not least by coverage of 'Save the Regiments' campaigns.

Geoff Hoon’s refusal this week to answer questions from Bruce George, Labour Chairman of the Commons select committee on Defence, on the process which led to the controversial decision to scrap Scotland’s regimental system, is further evidence of the contemptuous approach by Labour to the democratic process of government. Labour’s already indefensible position over these defence cuts to the Scottish Regiments is further discredited and our campaign denounces the Defence secretary and the Prime Minister for approving General Jackson’s plans which came in to being after Gordon Brown’s demands for savings in the army’s budget.

General Jackson has stated this week that campaigners now “accept the changes and move on”. We would instead suggest that General Jackson accepts his place in history, not as a great general but instead be remembered by many Scottish soldiers, families and supporters for the part he has played in the destruction of the Scottish Regiments – an unforgivable and “treacherous” act. The campaign will NOT accept plans which are destructive and wrong for the army. Labour will be amply reminded of their wrongdoing between now and the General Election – a Press conference will be held on Jan 27th in Edinburgh to reveal some of the Election strategy of our campaign.

A press report in today’s Scotsman reveals that General Irwin was personally in favour of reversing the cuts. We should not forget that General Irwin was ‘caught out’ earlier last year when it was revealed that he had written a paper for the Executive Army Board in which he advocated the ending of the single regimental system whilst at the same time writing to all of the Black Watch rank and file to say how committed he was to defending the Black Watch Regiment from army and government attack. The majority of the Black Watch soldiers, veterans and those at RHQ have little or no trust now in their colonel, bar a few ‘career’ officers who are more focused on their own accession within the ranks – no matter what form the regiments take. Alaistair Irwin latest attempt to shift the blame from himself to the politicians should indeed be viewed as highly suspicious – we are told by the Government that the decision comes from the Army Board – General Irwin heads up the Scottish Regiments in Scotland – so according to the Government it is HIS decision. Are we to believe General Irwin and now accept it was the Government who forced the destructive changes to the Scottish Regiments for reasons of defence budget cuts? Even if we do give him the benefit of the doubt, was he powerless to raise his voice in opposition – he had a choice to make and he made the choice to support the damaging changes that he now admits are wrong.

Our campaign has always believed Alaistair Irwin was, and remains, at the heart of the deconstruction of the Scottish Regiments – if he is truly opposed to the cuts then he MUST do the following – issue a complete rejection of the Army Board’s recommendations to the Government and say he was wrong to support them and finally he must apologise to the soldiers of the Six Scottish Regiments – especially The Black Watch Regiment of which he is currently the Colonel. Alaistair Irwin retires from the Army in July and will effectively not be Colonel of the Black Watch Regiment from this April onwards. He has one last chance to demonstrate that his loyalties are with the soldiers of the Scottish Regiment and not an ignorant and arrogant government assisted by General Jackson. Anything less than a complete rejection and an admission he made a mistake will not be enough and he will retire in Scotland and be viewed for ever more as the man who killed the Black Watch and the other five Scottish Regiments.

It takes a brave and honorable man to admit he was wrong - we hope Alaistair Irwin is such a man.

The government has announced it is to send more Scottish troops into Iraq, up to 650 troops from the 1st Battalion, Royal Highland Fusiliers are expected to be sent to British-controlled Basra after an escalation of attacks by insurgent groups. They could well be dispatched to the same area south of Baghdad where the Black Watch suffered the appalling loss of lives. It will be a highly dangerous period for any soldier of the British Army as Iraqi elections draw closer and now doubt insurgents will be keen to cause as much trouble as possible.

Whilst the government expects every soldier to do his duty, it has itself “deserted” it’s own post by effectively rewarding the soldiers who have carried out the work on behalf of this government and country by stabbing them in the back by disbanding their regiments through forced amalgamation. Soldiers, both serving and ex, have made their opposition to the planned mergers and amalgamations perfectly clear. As well as many thousands of supporters who also recognise that the changes are not for the good of the army, the country or the serving soldier.

The Top Army General who has recently been rewarded for his complicity with the government and the duplicitous colonels of the Scottish Regiments, who will no doubt appear in the next New Year’s honours list, should hang their heads in shame and will undoubtedly be remembered for their dishonourable role in refusing to lift a finger to save their Regiments. With only the exception of the KOSB Regimental Colonel, the others Scottish Colonels voted to amalgamate their regiments – the Royal Scots Colonel even voted to disband his own Regiment! These colonels are supposed to represent and defend their regiments – the rank and file who make up these regiments now view these colonels as nothing less than lapdogs of the government, more interested in their own selfish interests whilst at the same time pretending the changes are for the good of the regiment as a whole – they have failed to convince anyone except themselves.

As the New Year begins in parliament the message from the Government to the soldiers of those regiments affected is effectively - “we expect you to do your duty – just don’t expect the same from us!”. The campaign to Save the Scottish Regiments is planning for a very active spring, which will include a mass rally in London in April. We are busy working on our election strategy and will announce details soon. The campaign is already talking to other campaign groups representing affected regiments in England to further enlighten the electorate of the damage being done to the British Army and to urge everyone to repay this Labour Government at the ballot box – key will be the very marginal seats for Labour.

Although the campaign is a single issue campaign it will no doubt contribute to the making up of many people’s minds in who they should vote for at the forthcoming election – our campaign will be on hand to remind the public between now and the General Election.

The hugely successful Edinburgh March and rally took place last Saturday and attracted supporters of 3,000 plus!!  On top of that the number of people who gathered to line Princes Street was immense as shoppers joined in and dropped bags to clap the march as it passed by.  Stirring speeches from the stage sent out warning after warning to Labour.  Ignore us at your peril - we will damage you at the ballot box.

The resulting media coverage has truly raised awareness but we must not rest on our laurels - we must push forward and build on this successful day.

To that end we annouce several key plans for early 2005

Lord Guthrie, the former head of the Armed Forces, said yesterday that cutbacks have left the Army "dangerously small and over-committed".

Lord Guthrie: 'The Army is not just another job'

The retired general, who is Colonel Commandant of the Special Air Service and served as Chief of both the General Staff and the Defence Staff, told The Telegraph that Government plans to cut the size of the infantry were a mistake and would leave Britain unable, in certain situations, to react militarily.

Referring to the plans, to be announced this week, to cut the number of infantry battalions from 40 to 36, Lord [Charles] Guthrie said: "The Army is very small as it is and has a huge number of commitments. It has become dangerously small for what it is being asked to do.

"The Army always has to be prepared for the unexpected but, of course, if you have too small an Army you can't react." Ministers did "not understand" the military.

The intervention by Lord Guthrie on the eve of an announcement on the future structure of the Army will alarm the Government. Lord Guthrie, 66, who served as a senior officer under both Conservative and Labour governments before retiring four years ago, was highly regarded by Tony Blair, and is seen as one of the finest and most combative Defence Staff heads of the past 30 years.

Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Michael Walker, the UK's most senior military officer, said attacks on the Scots regiment may have been prompted by media coverage of their deployment to the so-called "Triangle of Death" in central Iraq. Five members of the 850-strong battle-group were killed during their month-long mission to Camp Dogwood, near Baghdad, and the unit came under regular attack with roadside bombs, mortar fire, grenades and small arms.

General Walker said: "I think the contribution towards the initial attacks against the Black Watch was certainly enhanced by, if you like, a media picture that was being laid across a number of channels in all sorts of places. "As a result of that, there could well have been a response by those who wished us ill to go and meet us with something like a bomb."

Strange but perhaps not unexpected that once again a General of the Army will shift blame to anywhere other than where it belongs - which in this particular case is himself and minister such as Adam Ingram and Geoff Hoon, who because of their desperation to back the Prime Minister who had already made the decision to support the American request for troops further North, were prepared to reveal such details as when the advance recon. units of The Black Watch were travelling and then the actual bulk of The Black Watch Battle Group itself.

If anyone is too blame in the UK for contributing to the attacks on the Black Watch it is the MoD and Government Ministers for effectively printing a "terrorists timetable".

Legend Sir Sean Connery backs The Save the Scottish Regiments campaign - 09 Dec 2004

The Save the Scottish Regiments Campaign is delighted to announce the support of Sir Sean Connery to our campaign to Save Scotland’s Six Regiments. Sir Sean, believes in retaining what is best about Scotland and he understands the important contribution our Regiments make to the security of the United Kingdom and indeed the world.

Sir Sean joins a vast number of supporters from every walk of life, from serving soldiers and veterans to politicians, actors, establishment figures and of course the Scottish public. All united with the same message for Tony Blair.

Hands of our Regiments!

Stabbing our soldiers in the back while they serve our country is not acceptable. Proceed with these plans and your party will reap what it is now sowing at the General Election. Sir Sean sends his best wishes for the national March and Rally being held in Edinburgh on Saturday 18th December. March along Princes Street at 11:30am and Rally in Princes Street Gardens at 12 mid-day. Full detail available at Rally website: http://www.edinburghrally.co.uk/

Today Geoff Hoon arrives in Basra to ‘spend as much time as possible with troops’ in what the mod claims was a trip arranged some time ago. It is a little too late in the day for Mr Hoon to look concerned for the welfare of the Scottish soldiers, especially of the black watch – who endured tragic fatalities after he agreed to send them to camp dogwood, Baghdad at the request of the Americans.

If Mr Hoon really cared for the welfare of those soldiers he would have visited the Black Watch at camp dogwood when they needed support of a government minister most. Mr Hoon was of course too busy with a trip to India with his wife at the time, Mr Hoon has a track record of making pleasurable trips to warmer climates when British soldiers are engaged in battle – remember the gulf war! Families and campaigners are not fooled by this shameless opportunistic media stunt by Mr Hoon whose sole objective is for photo opportunities in which he will give the appearance of being supportive and welcomed by soldiers.

Hundreds of family members and serving soldiers have made it clear to our campaign of their utter contempt for Mr Hoon and his plans for the Scottish regiments. Mr Hoon, who has never served in any of the armed forces, will be remembered as the defence minister who stabbed soldiers in the back whilst he shook hands for his own selfish pr purposes.

Nobody will be fooled by this latest desperate attempt by Mr Hoon to sell his unwanted and ill-conceived plans for the Scottish regiments.

Over 1,000 people signed the Save the Scottish Regiments petition in Stirling’s city centre on Saturday morning in an extraordinary display of public support for the local regiment, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Stirling’s Tories - led by prospective parliamentary candidate, Stephen Kerr - had taken to the streets to champion the cause of Scotland’s threatened infantry regiments.
The Labour government is proposing to disband all six of Scotland’s infantry regiments and create a so-called ‘super-regiment’ comprising of five battalions. Stephen Kerr commented, “The response is fantastic. People queued up to sign the petition because they wanted to register their support for Scotland’s regiments. What’s so impressive is the number of people who proudly volunteer their family connection with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.

The threat to the future of the regiment is taken as an attack on this community. “Feelings are running high. There is deep resentment towards the Labour Party and especially Mrs McGuire. People are disgusted that their elected representative has done nothing to stand up for the regiment that means so much to so many people. “Friday’s stunt at the Castle* has only intensified the feeling of betrayal. The last thing people wanted from Mrs McGuire is more spin. But that is all she could come up with! “Stirling is sick and tired of Labour’s ‘smoke and mirrors’ but no action.”

Jeff Duncan of the national 'Save the Scottish Regiments' campaign announced an escalation of the campaign: “We are now calling on supporters of the Save the Scottish Regiments Campaign to further reduce Labour’s overall vote in Scotland by casting their vote at the election for the best placed candidate to unseat a sitting Labour MP or prevent a Labour candidate from winning – we are actively working with candidates from other political parties around Scotland to ensure this will have an negative effect on Labour’s vote count.”

*Mrs McGuire and Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram MP staged a visit to the Castle and held a meeting with the Regimental Association (a closed session which ignored rank and file members opinions)

Letter from General Mike Jackson to Courier Editor
Dear Mr Hutcheon,

Your report this morning (29 November) that Jeff Duncan, organiser of the Save the Scottish Regiments campaign, is of the opinion that Lieutenant Colonel James Cowan, Commanding Officer of the Black Watch, “is having to say what he’s saying right now because he’s under immense pressure directly from General Jackson … he faces losing his career”.

First, let me make it clear that James Cowan is under no pressure – direct or indirect – whatsoever from me in the matter of the future infantry structure; what